Pneumatic antivibration device for automobiles



G. W. BELL.

PNEUMATIC ANTIVIBRATION DEVICE FORAUTOMOBILES.

` APPLICATION man Dec. 23, |918.

1,353,886. Patentedsept. 28,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. W. BELL.

PNEuMmc ANTlvlsaATroN DEVICE Fon AuToMoBlLEs.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.23| 1918.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"nin",

G. W. BELL.

PNEUMATLC ANTIVIBBATION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION man nic. 2a. ma.

' 1,353,886. Patenasept. 28,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- ngz PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BELL, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

PNEUMATIC ANTIVIBRATION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Original application Serial No. 866,000, filed October 10, 1914. Divided and this application filed Decem- 'Der 23. 1918.

To all whom t may concern:

Be. it known that I, GEORGE W BELL, a subject of the King of England, residing at Detroit, in the county of Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Antivibration Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had vtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates generally to pneumatic anti-vibration devices for automobiles as set forth in my application, Serial No. 866,000 for improvements in pneumatic antivibration devices, filed Oct. 10, 1914, and allowed June 6, 1918, (patented December 24, 1918, No. 1,288,475) of which this application is a division and specifically concerns the portion of the device therein described which lies within the hub of the traction wheel and to the arrangement of parts within the plane of the wheel whereby free oscillation is permitted in a vertical plane to the driving axle and associated portions of the mechanism.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section on a vertical plane of a driving Vaxle and wheel, partially broken away, provided with a pneumatic suspension or anti-vibration device that embodies features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in detail of the end portion of the axle housing;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section, partially broken away, of the axle housing;

Fig. 4c is aview in longitudinal section on a horizontal plane of the rear axle housing and pneumatic anti-vibration device;

Fig. 5 is a viewin front elevation of an arm of a cylinder-bearing;

Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation of the end of the axle housing;

Fig. 7 is a view in section of a piston and cylinder of a modification of the device secured in position by a ring;

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional View taken at right angles to Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a view in end elevation of the axle and ring.

Referring to the drawings, and the general features of the device as a whole, an axle housing 2 carries any type of differen- Serial No. 267,922.

tial mechanism indicated generally in the enlarged middle portion with a universal joint 70 connecting a main driving shaft 63 or differential shaft section with the takeoif members of the differential so as to permit oscillation of the shaft section in the housing. At the outer end portion of the shaft 63 a universal joint 64 connects it to the main driving hub of the wheel.

A piston 1 of the device has a transverse boss 1c therethrough in which an outer flattened end portion of the housing 2 is secured by studs 2e passing through the wall of the boss into the shoulder formed by the main body of the'housing, the piston permitting the vertical oscillation of a cylinder 3 which has hollow guide arms 4L and 5 around the end portion of the housing with bearings 6 and 7 thereon on which the wheel hub 8 revolves. The inner arm 5 has sliding engagement with guide surfaces 2h on the housing.

The interior construction of the piston and cylinder with the dash pot chambers and cooperating valve ports, do not form 79er se a portion of this invention and are therefore not described herein.

Preferably the connection between the shaft 63 and the universal joint is by means of a flattened, polygonal or keyed portion of the shaft entering a correspondingly formed recess of a part of the joint so as to permit endwise movement thereof. The other portion of the universal joint is connected by a pin 64:a to a cap 68 which secured tok the hub 8 of the wheel bolts 68h passing through a flange 68EL of the cap. The

Y hub 8 is made in two sections and the inner portion which revolves on the bearing 7 carries a plate 65 on which brake shoes 66 and 67 are mounted to expand against the drum 69.

As will be understood, this arrangement practically places the wheel rotatable on bearings 6 and 7.. with a portion of each bearing carried by cylinder 3, the latter being movable on piston 1 which is itself mounted on the housing` its boss V1c being positioned on housing 2 by an endwise movement of the several parts; when so positioned bolts or studs 2e are placed in position, locking the parts against endwise move ment on the housing. The securing of the studs 2e in position is made possibie by the fact that joint 64 is movable endwise on lshaft 63 and carried by and movable with cap 68, so that While cap 68 is removed from the structure, the interior parts are accessible through the outer guide arm 4;. After the studs 2e are secured 1n position, cap 68 and joint 64C are placed in position and se.-

cured by bolts 68b thus locking the parts in -position.

Obviously, by rst removing the cap and joint 64, access can be had to studs 2e to permit'their disengagement, leaving the Wheel 'structure free to be bodily removed, this'being possible by moving the Wheel endwise of the housing to carry boss 1C oi of the housing.

To fully protect the interior of the hub, a

i dust plate 65c'may be projected yieldingly against the inner face ofv the hub or plate 65 thereof by suitable springs as indicated.

In Figs.` 7,8 and 9 another method of securing'the parts in position is shown. In Y this instance, a piston 2O has a central hollow boss 21 connected by a flange 22 to the outer Vportion'of the hub so that when the axle housing -2 is inserted therein it may be secured by a thrust ring 23 screwthreaded on tothe-projecting portion of the housing, the counterbored recess formed by the flanged connection 22 Ygiving clearance for the universal joint 64, Which is connected as before to the cap 68 of thehub. To prevent displacement of the ring 23 the lattermay be provided With lugs 24 through which studs 25 or cap screws Aengage the'body of the piston'20. As the housing is'flattened in Van upright plane to renter the correspondingly shaped b ore of the piston,the ring preferably engages screw-threads on the rounded faces 26 of the housing, and on the complementary projections 27'of the piston,

the screvvthreads being-in register when the parts-are in proper position. In this term,

ring 23 serves to prevent endivise movement of the piston on. housing-2, the threads-of the ring. engaging the threaded portions of housing and piston when the threads of these parts are Vin mating position, it being understood that in Fig. 9, the outer curved faces of housing 2 are threaded, as are the .curved segmental faces 27 of the piston,

Y these faces, When the parts are assembled,

'l which ring 23 is threaded.

; vent threading movement of the ring 23. As

screw-threaded exterior on Studs 25 preproducing a in the other form, it is necessary only to remove studs 25, unscrew'rmg 23, and then WithdraiiT the Wheel bodily, cap 68 and'joint 611 having' been Vpreviously removed, the reverse operation 'being had vvhen theWheel is being mounted. Y' Y Itis thus seen that by either construction a piston'and cylinder supporting device with suitable driving axle' connections Vare had that are housed completely Within the plane of the Wheel. rIhe device is readily assem- 1,353,8se p y bled and because Vof itsposition Within the bearings ofthe Wheel, all side stress from load is obviated.

Obviously, cliangesin the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not care to limit myself to any particular' form or arrangement of parts.

What .I claim is 1. In anti-vibration devices of the type set forth, a hollow axle housing, an upright piston detachably secured in the outer end portionthereof, an air cylinder in Which Vthe piston plays, bearings mounted onV the cylinder, a Wheel the hub of Which is journaled on the bearings, an oscillatory driving shaft in the housing .raving Vuniversal joint connection with the Wheel hub, and means for securing the Wheel-hub detachably on the bearings,the wheel with piston and cylinder forming a unit removable YendWise from the housing. Y

2.'In anti-vibration devices of the type described, an axle housing, differential gearing mounted therein, a piston non-rotatably secured detachably on the outer end portion ofthe housing, an upright cylinder oscillatory on the piston, bearings mounted on ythe cylinder, a Wheel hub journaled on thel bearings, and a drive shaft in the housing having universal joint connections with the differential mechanismand With the Wheel fof the housing, an oscillatory and rotatable driving shaft j ournaled in the housing and connected by a universal joint With the Wheelhub for rotating thelatter, and means detachably securing the Wheelin position, the Wheel -and inclosed supporting means .being removable endwise as a unit from the housing.

' 4. In anVanti-vibration device of the character described, an axle housing, a piston mounted on the end portion of the housing, a cylinder reciprocable on the piston, a pair of bearings mounted'on opposite sides of the cylinder around the housing, a vWheel hub journaled thereon, a Wheel hub cap detach- Y ably secured Yto theV hub, a universal joint VVone member of-Which is pivotally'secured to the cap on an axis transverse to the hub axis, a driving shaft oscillatory and rotatable in the housing'and non-'rotatably and detachably secured tothe other part of the universal joint, the lattery being removable `with the cap, and means for detachably securing the Wheel against endwise displacement and accessible in the cylinder when the cap is removed.

5. In an anti-vibration device of the character described, an axle housing, a piston mounted on the end portion of the housing, a cylinder reciprocable on the piston, a pair of bearings mounted on opposite sides of the cylinder around the housing, a Wheel hub j ournaled thereon, a Wheel hub cap detachably secured to the hub, a universal joint one member of which is pivotally secured to the cap on an axis transverse to the hub axis, a driving shaft oscillatory and rotatable in the housing and non-rotatably secured to the other part of the universal joint, and differential mechanism mounted in the housing and universal joint connections between the take off driving member of the differential mechanism and the driving shaft, the Wheel With piston and cylinder forming a unit removable endWise from the housing.

6. In an anti-vibration device of the character described, an axle housing, a piston secured transversely on the outer end portion of the axle housing, a thrust collar on the housing extremity for securing the pising non-rotatably secured to the universal joint to turn the hub.

7. In an anti-vibration device of the character described, an axle having a piston secured transversely on the outer end portion thereof, through Which the housing extends, a cylinder reciprocable on the piston having lateral arms one of which has sliding engagement with the housing, bearings on the arms, a Wheel hub journaled on the bearings, means accessible through the other arm for securing the piston on the housing, a driving shaft oscillatory and rotatable in the housing, and a detachable hub cap having a universal driven joint detachably secured to the shaft.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.-

GEORGE W. BELL. lfVitnesses ANNA M. DORR, CHAs W. STAUFFIGER. 

